• For the past couple of years, we’ve been fortunate enough to be the exclusive home to interviews conducted with celebrities of View Askew past and present, by correspondant Chris Graves. Looking back into our news archives as we do some site cleanup, we were astounded at just how many fantastic pieces that Mr. Graves had turned in for us. So, we thought, how about a new dedicated area for the man and his hard work? So, we’re proud to present our new archive of exclusive Chris Graves interviews. Perhaps you missed a few, or want to read ’em again. Plus, as new work comes in, this area will continue to expand.

  
  News Askew is proud to be the exclusive home of these interviews, and we once again thank our pal Graves and all his subjects (past and future) for their contributions.

• The IMDB is prepping for Kevin’s untitled space comedy, projecting a 2011 release date, which seems a LONG time away. Please keep in mind that’s not at all official, just speculation on the site’s part. Nothing relating to the movie has been greenlit or decided at this point.
• The lovely Elizabeth Banks shows up on Entertainment Weekly’s list of top entertainers of 2008. Check out what they had to say right here :

  
  16. ELIZABETH BANKS
  
  Over a few weeks this fall, Elizabeth Banks babysat Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott in Role Models; evinced Laura Bush’s quiet devotion to her hubby in Oliver Stone’s W.; and tackled her first title role, as an amateur porn star, in Zack and Miri Make a Porno — all with enviable ease. After years of thankless roles as The Girlfriend (to Ryan Reynolds, Mark Wahlberg, even a robot Eddie Murphy), the 34-year-old actress is finally Having Her Moment, even if she can’t quite make the poster for Zack and Miri. ”It’s a f—ing drawing of a girl,” Banks says with a full-bodied laugh. ”I can’t even get myself on the f—ing poster. What moment am I having?” We have a feeling, with her wide range and genuine charm, she’s going to be having plenty more chances to be front and center.

• Seth Rogen names CLERKS as the film that changed his life in THIS article from the New York Post.
• And finally today, CLERKS get a nice mention on Den On Geek‘s list of movies that were followed by a sequel over a decade after it’s original release:

  
  Clerks
  
  Kevin Smith isn’t really a director you’d associate with sequels, and thus eyebrows were raised when he announced he was revisiting his debut film, Clerks, to find out what had happened to Randal and Dante since we met them last. Leaving a 12 year gap between the films, this gave Smith the space to build some genuine evolution into his characters, and he gladly took the chance to do so. And while the worldwide box office take of $26m may not raise eyebrows, set against the sizeable business it’s done on DVD and the low production budget, it’s proven to be a very profitable enterprise. More than that, though, Clerks II was a terrific sequel, and one that makes the rumours of a third movie later down the line very interesting indeed…

• Word has just come in that Kevin’s upcoming foreign market commitments promoting Zack & Miri Make A Porno will make it impossible for him to attend his November 22nd schedule Q&A session at Miami University of Ohio. Tickets holders can receive a full refund by following the instructions below that were forwarded to us by our scooper Eric….

  
  Dear Miami University Performing Arts Series Patron,

  Thank you for purchasing tickets to our presentation of Kevin Smith November 22. Unfortunately, Mr. Smith has just had to cancel his performance at Millett Hall due to a schedule conflict with the overseas release of his new movie. Regrettably, he is unable to re-schedule his show at Miami University because of future movie commitments. I’m sure you are as disappointed with this as we are.

  Given the cancellation, here are your options:

  * Exchange your tickets for another Performing Arts Series event. See list at the end of this email and check out our website for more details. If you choose an event with a lower ticket price, the difference will be forfeited. Simply bring or mail your Kevin Smith tickets to:

  Miami University Box Office
  Phillip R. Shriver Center
  Oxford, OH 45056

  Exchanges will be honored through December 23, 2008. If mailing tickets for exchange, please complete and include the attached form.

• We hope you enjoyed our Friday stream of consciousness style blogging of the big show in Red Bank, New Jersey. As you probably noticed, it was a bit tougher than we expected to update in such a fashion for a few reasons – The iPhone barely had a clear signal in our location in the theater, and was unfortuntaely EDGE and not the much speedier 3G – Typing updates on the phone’s onscreen keyboard is a bit slower than a real laptop, and, probably toughest of all, the tight quarters of the Basie. While they did do a beautiful job with renovations, they unfortunately left the seats in the place alone, and they do leave a lot to be desired as far as comfort (think of sitting in a full crowded row on an airplane in coach and it’s kinda like that, but HOTTER).

  
  At any rate, we were happy to test the technology out for the first time, giving us the ability to give you almost up to the moment updates on what was going down at the show. As future events happen, we’re hoping for better conditions which will allow for even more fancy tech stuff to happen at News Askew, allowing those of you who can’t make it to these things a front row look at what’s happening.

  

  With thanks to our pal Robb, we’ve got some photos from his camera — Unless you’re up close with a fancy camera, the dim lighting in the Count Basie doesn’t lend itself well to photos, though Robb managed to walk right up to the stage to snap some shots. We’ve chosen a few to share here, click away to take a look.

  Quite different and a nice change of pace from recent events, we enjoyed the laid back nature of this one — Having a large couch on stage set the scene for what turned into a very comfortable night. This Q&A reminded us quite a bit of the sessions of old, where Kevin blazed though questions at a much speedier rate than normal. Admittedly, Kevin mentioned that he typically takes the stage with a group of tales he intends to tell, even if he needs to sidetrack a bit to get to them. This time, aside from opening remarks including that now famous “bathroom incident” and his thoughts on the Zack & Miri opening, Kevin had no agenda other than to honestly chat up the fans and answer their questions.

  As summarized in our blog, the night did not bring a bunch of new revelations. Kevin did confirm that “Red State” is next on the slate, but went a bit more conservative on production start, hoping to be ramping up sometime in the Spring of 2009. The Clerks cartoon movie project remains stagnant and probably dead. From the comics world, “Batman: Cacophony” issue #1 has arrived, and Kevin was kind enough to read a choice scene for us onstage. From the projects perspective, that’s all that’s on the slate at the moment (though we know that slate has a tendency to fill up rather quickly, so stay tuned).

  Crowd antics were rather good, with the most outrageous requests few and far between – With long lines, several fans took the unsavory practice of asking multiple unrelated questions when they got to the mic, a tactic we don’t really dig but that Kevin fielded quite well (though it possibly slighted a few on the bubble folks in getting their turn). Questions were generally quite good and complimentary, though Kevin made it clear that all questions are welcome, and that there’s never been one that really offended him. Unlike the story Kev shared from Canada, no fans fainted when they took to the mic, though it was obvious that there were nerves at play with so many onlookers. The night capped off with a simple request that turned into a fitting conclusion, where a girl asked simply for a photograph. Kevin probed her with questions which led to a potential hook-up between her and her male companion, who eventually took the stage with her for some photos (see above).

  With three multi-hour DVDs now available, and well over 12 hours of content, Kevin’s already put forth more original material than some of today’s biggest comedians. One fan remarked that he became a fan of Kevin’s Q&A work even before he discovered the films. If Kevin’s honest, open delivery style continues, we have a feeling that there’s going to be a lot more where that came from. Before we know it, Q&A events like these will be filled with a new grouping of anecdotes and obersvations. So, for Friday, it was certainly nice to catch Kevin in one of those rare moments in time, where it was just the man, the mic, the fans, and a bunch of random conversation.

  On a final note, for those of you missing these shows, we can highly recommend SModcast as an alternative until Kevin’s in your town. Many fans in the auditorium commented on the joy the show brings them, and we even noticed a few tidbits and jokes that conceptually began during SModcast. So, it’s not only a fun listen, but an excellent primer or companion piece to the live shows. At this stage, there’s sadly no plans for a “live” SModcast, so, for now anyway, these Q&As are as close as you can get. Next time he comes ’round, you know we’ll be there. So should you!

• With the theatrical release of a View Askew flick, which normally results in the culmination of over a year’s of work and News Askew updates, many fans wonder what’s to come now that the movie has hit theaters. So, let’s take a look at what we’re expecting as we roll into 2009, and what’s ahead for Kevin Smith and View Askew Productions.

  
  During his Red Bank appearance last week, Kevin revealed that he’ll be taking a bit of a break of the next six months — While we’ll certainly see him online in various areas, overall appearances and events will be kept at a minimum, as he takes a post-Zack & Miri break. However, the term “break” is really all relative when you look at what’s coming up.

  “Zack & Miri Make a Porno” will continue to play North American theaters and then expand worldwide over various release dates. We’ll keep you posted on those dates, and of course an eventual DVD release date, here. As always, the gang put in a TON of work pre-movie to ensure a jam packed DVD, so when that thing eventually shows up next year, there will be a massive documentary and tons more.

  “Batman: Cacophony” features three issues, #1 of which is now available. Issues 2 and 3 are “in the can” per se and will arrive on schedule for the remainder of this year. No other comic-related announcements from Kevin at this time.

  Watch the News Askew events sidebar on your right, as we’re posting up information on when Kevin and your other favorite View Askew personalities are coming to your town.

  Online, Kevin and Scott Mosier will continue to produce weekly editions of SModcast. The popular podcast shows no signs of slowing down, as Kevin recently revealed it’s an excellent time to just hang out with his good friend Scott and spend an hour yakking. We’re just lucky enough to listen in.

  Funding for “Red State” will happen though is not yet 100% complete. Production is planned to start in mid-2009 but nothing official as of yet. Kevin feels strongly that this should be his next project, a 180 degree turn from anything that’s come from him before.

  Online updates via the WWWBoard, Kevin’s blog site and Myspace/Facebook pages will likely continue as well. These, along with News Askew, will be your sources for the latest announcements from View Askew Productions. Stay tuned, things will be calm for a bit, but we speak from experience: It never stays that way for long.

• High-Def Digest confirms that “Clerks II” will arrive on Bluray on February 10, 2009. The title was previously available in the now dead HD-DVD format. During a recent Q&A, Kevin joked that the orignal “Clerks” would look “even worse” on Bluray, so from what we’re seeing no plans for that one to show up in a high definition format just yet. Thanks to High Def Digest for the story, which does not speculate on any extras (though we’re guessing the same extras on previous releases of the film, but nothing new).
• Concidentally, DVD Talk is speculating on a February 10th DVD bow for “Zack And Miri” as well, though we think that is just due to the Clerks II Bluray. Chalk it up only as a rumor for now, until we can get something more official for ya.

• We’re not sure where this poster is being used in print (as this Canman article implies), but Kevin is now using this wonderful one-sheet for “Zack And Miri Make a Porno” on his Myspace profile as well. We love it. And we certainly do agree that confusion over the title and marketing hurt things for the film — Though it’s great to see everyone has a good sense of humor over all the troubles. Like we always say, a View Askew film isn’t a View Askew film without controversial stuff happening at release time.

• As we’ve now passed the release date, we’re going back to the archives to dig up some stuff we couldn’t show you until after the flick hit screens – These are some early shots from the “Bean N Gone” taken from exteriors in Pittsburgh, spotted by a curious fan last winter. Click in for a closer look at another transformed business from View Askew.
• Finally today, seems IMDB‘s folks at “Truly Trivial” must read News Askew, as a rumor we speculated on has made it to their trivia question today:

  
  Truly Trivial

  This actor was considered for the male lead in Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

  The answer links to the great Jason Bateman, whom Kevin confirmed was NEVER in the running for the role (so the question is incorrect), though Kevin did in the same answer to us reveal that he’d love to work with Bateman in the future. Let’s hope it happens. We think the dude would be a fantastic fit for Kevin’s words. Catch ya back here soon!

We’ve arrived in our row S seats, just below the balcony. There’s a couch onstage and the lights just went down, kevin has taken the stage!

Kevin is going to run a shorter show than usual tonight, 3 to 4 hours.

So far, questions have been about Zack and Miri. Kevin is now telling his tale from the ratings board.

iPhone battery is at 20 percent, and the ATT signal in the Basie is rotten, so we’ll check in if any major revelations are dropped. Thanks for checking in.

Our favorite question of the night so far – an enthusiastic costumed guy from Philly in the balcony just proposed a “View Askew Zombies” comic book series to Kevin.

Different from many sessions, Kevin has been moving more quickly through questions and there haven’t been many extended tales. It’s a fun format and allowing Kevin to get to more folks.

The new Basie is nicely renovated, but very hot and seats are a bit tight – The packed house can’t be helping. Note to self, t-shirt next time!

Red State: Kevin speaks confidently about it being made, but financing is still not final. They are eyeing a Spring start, and may do a multi-way finance to get it done.

It’s 9:50 PM, lines are long but the 4 mics have all been having their say, with am average of 5 to 10 minutes spent per person. Questions have been generally good and Kevin has continued to answer them and move on.

The audience has just confirmed via cheers how hot it is in here, and Kevin has just jokingly left the stage for a quick shirt change due to the heat.

10:45 and going strong! Kevin is fielding a question about future plans, and reveals we won’t see much of him in public for six months.

Lots of topics covered so far tonight, with questions ranging from Jersey Girl to Zack & Miri, as well as some words on doing these Q&As and if a question has ever offended him (so far, none have).

While there are no Vulgarthon plans, Kevin expects that Big Helium Dog will arrive on DVD within the next year.

Kevin won the best wingman ever award by hooking up to fans who came in all the way from Ohio. A true highlight!

The show ended at 11:15 – After a brief chat with faithful fans Karla and Robb in the lobby we’re hitting the road home.

• Later this afternoon, we’ll start the 3 hour trek into beautiful downtown Red Bank, New Jersey for Kevin’s Q&A appearance at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank tonight. We hope to see many of you there. Stop and say hello if you catch us, of course.

  
  Unlike the last show filmed here for “Threevening”, tonight’s show has no set agenda or time limit, and the Basie is known to let Kevin riff as long as he’d like, so we’re prepared for anything tonight.

  If you line up to ask a question, please do your best to not ask something you know the answer to or to elicit a story that’s been told on a previous DVD – Kevin’s not known for repeating tales told on the previous discs, so expect new content tonight. Who knows, maybe your good question might result in a new classic tale being formed before your very eyes.

  If signals and battery strength allows, we’re going to attempt some live blogging via iPhone tonight, so it’s possible you’ll see any big news or interesting tidbits dropping live, as they happen, on News Askew this evening.

  We hope to see you in Red Bank tonight, and look forward to another historical show at the Basie.

• Kevin has revealed the first full color, full size pages of his long-awaited return to the comics world, “Batman: Cacophony”. This three-part miniseries features the art of longtime pal and Askew star in his own right, Walt Flanagan, and a new story/script by Kevin himself, featuring the return of a villain of his own creation. Several other stars of the Batman universe will appear (as evidenced in the pages above). Issue #1 arrives in comic stores EVERYWHERE next week, and now’s the time to reserve your copies.

  
  The books arrive in several variant covers as well, though what you see above are the cover and pages from the mainstream issue #1, courtesy of Kevin Smith. Enjoy. On Saturday, Kevin and Walt will be holding a limited signing session in Red Bank, NJ where you can be the first to own the book, meet the creators, and get it signed. If you’re anywhere within driving distance, you’ll wanna be there.

  Click above for super-sized shots of exclusive pages from the book, which will hopefully appease you as you wait for what’s sure to be the hottest comic hitting shelves in a long, long time. Grab your first run copies before they’re gone, via the online Stash, in person this Saturday, or your favorite local comic shop. We’re sure we speak for everyone as we congratulate Kevin and Walt, and welcome them back to the world of comics this week.

• We’re betting that a bunch of you are heading into Red Bank, NJ this Friday night for Kevin’s big return to the Count Basie for a good ‘ol fashioned Q&A — No cameras or agenda this time, like the 37th birthday Threevening Q&A, just a BIG sold out evening with Kevin Smith taking the stage, telling a bunch of brand new tales, and taking your questions. We’ll see you there.

  
  Now, with this new announcement, we’ve got a reason for you all to buy up hotel rooms in and around the town — You’ll wanna stick around until Saturday, as Kevin Smith, along with artist Walt Flanagan, will be signing copies of their highly anticipated new comic “Batman: Cacophony” at the historic Secret Stash East in downtown Red Bank!

  For those of you who have never been to the Stash, this is your perfect opportunity to see the place, the props, and of course, meet the man himself in person. DO NOT MISS IT.

  A few things to know – First up, the event runs from 2 PM til 5 PM. The line WILL BE CAPPED. The guys gotta stop at 5, so GET THERE EARLY (in other words, way before 2 PM) to secure your spot. If you get there too late, you risk missing you chance to get your book signed. If you want to buy anything else there and get it signed, OR bring something along, YOU CAN GET ONLY UP TO TWO OTHER ITEMS SIGNED. This is not to give you a hard time, but rather, to allow everyone in line the time and a chance to get their stuff signed, too. You MUST buy a copy of the Batman comic as well – But the price is, of course, very affordable.

  For full details on this event, visit the official site . Hope to see a bunch of you there. PLEASE HEED OUR WARNING, LINE UP EARLY! We don’t want you to miss your chance to get a book signed, and Red Bank events are always insanely popular.